Bargaining is back on after Ford "blinked"

Plus, a Quebec-like vision for Alberta, and Ford and Jones are off the hook [Get access now!]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on school support staff bargaining, Danielle Smith’s vision for Alberta and Doug Ford dodging the Emergencies Act inquiry. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Nathan Denette provincial politics [School is back as Doug Ford’s government and CUPE agree to return to bargaining]( Hundreds of thousands of students will be back in class today after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) decided to end its province-wide strike. The move came “as a gesture of good faith” after the premier pledged in writing that he would repeal a controversial bill overriding Charter rights and making CUPE’s strike illegal, and would return to the bargaining table. As negotiations resume, [here’s what union leaders say the events mean for the labour movement in Ontario](. - Context: Bill 28 had only passed last Thursday. The offer to rescind it was meant to turn down the heat on the strike that began Friday, and came against the backdrop of a threatened general strike. - ICYMI: Before negotiations collapsed, [CUPE had slashed their wage demands](. - The aftermath: “On the verge of tears” at the thought of online learning. [Here’s a closer look at the relief felt by students and parents as school resumes](. - Edward Keenan’s take: Ford’s casual use of the notwithstanding clause threatened to contribute to a constitutional crisis. [Here’s why the struggle is far from over](. - Martin Regg Cohn’s take: [Ford has stained his legacy in a way that even backing down won’t fix](. Canadian Press/Jason Franson analysis [Is Alberta the new Quebec? That’s the premier’s vision for her province]( More autonomy. More control of the federal money it receives. More political heft. Those are among the traits Danielle Smith sees in Quebec and wants to adopt in Alberta. She’s making the argument while laying the groundwork for her cornerstone Alberta Sovereignty Act, a piece of legislation that experts say could be unconstitutional, but that Smith sees as a “bargaining chip” in a long-standing battle with the federal government, Kieran Leavitt writes. [Here’s what else Smith wants to borrow from Quebec, and why a constitutional law expert calls it a dangerous populist message](. - Wait, what? Smith has suggested the Alberta Sovereignty Act would let the province simply not enforce federal laws it disagrees with — taking the province very close to separation. - Why it matters: “This simplistic sovereignty kick is not only damaging to the country but, in my view, is profoundly damaging to the province itself,” said constitutional law professor Errol Mendes. - Meanwhile: Quebec’s premier is engaging in what Mendes calls “silent separation” through attacks on minorities. For instance, François Legault used the notwithstanding clause to pass bills banning public employees from wearing religious symbols and limiting the use of English. Canadian Press/Frank Gunn emergencies act inquiry [Doug Ford and Sylvia Jones don’t have to testify at Emergencies Act inquiry]( A federal judge has ruled that their “parliamentary privilege” means Ontario’s premier and former solicitor general do not have to testify at the inquiry into the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act to end last winter’s so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests. The ruling comes amid pressure from the provincial NDP, Liberals and Greens for the officials to testify, Robert Benzie and Rob Ferguson report. [Take a closer look at the decision and the arguments made by both sides](. - Context: Justice Simon Fothergill said the summonses to testify were “valid,” but that “applicants may resist the summonses by asserting parliamentary privilege.” - Go deeper: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service believed the Emergencies Act could radicalize more people and push some towards violence, the federal inquiry into the use of the law heard Monday. [Here’s what else a document shows the agency told Justin Trudeau about the risk of exacerbating anti-government views]( WHAT ELSE An Ottawa cop who donated to the “Freedom Convoy” has been docked pay and ordered to a restorative justice process. [Here’s what we know](. It’s been more than a year since schools were closed for girls in Afghanistan. [Here’s how secret schools are teaching under the Taliban’s nose](. [This is how Chrystia Freeland addressed her own privilege]( after her “out of touch” comment about Disney+. Doug Ford says Justin Trudeau is being [“selective” in his criticism of the notwithstanding clause](. It’s good the government has promised a Canada Disability Benefit. [Here’s how to fix the flawed bill](. A photo radar camera has been a cash cow for the city. [But how much is it doing to make the road safer?]( [Take a closer look at the consequences for GO bus riders]( 2,200 transit workers went on strike. Toronto’s housing prices will continue to decline — slowly. [Here’s what else a new report predicts about the market](. [Suzette Mayr has won the $100,000 Giller Prize]( for her novel “The Sleeping Car Porter.” [The Rogers-Shaw merger would take out a “disruptive, competitive player,”]( a tribunal hears. [Why a debunked conspiracy theory about doctors harmed by the COVID vaccine is going strong online]( — and enraging surviving loved ones. Yes, “Friends” is important to Matthew Perry, [but he wants to be remembered for his sobriety and helping other people](. ICYMI Toronto Star Photo Illustration [A video allegedly showed an RCMP officer sexually harassing an Indigenous teen — then it went missing. Inside allegations of a cover-up in Canada’s national police force.]( CLOSE-UP Ed Ram/Getty Images KYIV: Pensioners queue up for free soup, bread and hot food handed out at a stand run by charity Enjoying Life on Monday. Electricity and heating outages across Ukraine caused by missile and drone strikes have added urgency to preparations for winter.  Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_152925). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get full digital access Limited-time offer: Just $3.33/month [Subscribe now]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. 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